S.C. politicos: GOP field still wide open for presidential hopefuls

ANDERSON - The most recent poll of likely South Carolina GOP voters indicated that 2 percent of them supported Rick Santorum for the presidential nomination.

But that was 17 days ago.

"He's been in South Carolina more than any other candidate," said Dave Woodard, a Clemson University political science professor and campaign adviser. "The point is he will do anything, bear any burden and pay any price to gain an audience."

That strategy paid dividends in Iowa — where Santorum had visited all 99 counties and came in second on Tuesday by eight votes under consistent front-runner Mitt Romney.

That coupled with an extensive grass-roots organization in South Carolina could be a winning strategy, said former U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett, who is chairman of Santorum's campaign in South Carolina.

"We were the first campaign to get captains in all 46 counties," Barrett said. "That was done last week. The dynamic has changed."

Santorum and Romney split about half the vote in Iowa, and Rep. Ron Paul came in third with 21.4 percent of votes. Fourth-place Newt Gingrich, at 13 percent, was the target of intense negative advertising in recent weeks from the Romney and Paul camps while Santorum had no money for television.

Most experts on Wednesday continued to put their money on Romney for the eventual nomination, even as they acknowledged there's plenty of time for surprises between now and South Carolina's Jan. 21 GOP presidential primary.

The primary here will come 11 days after the Jan. 10 GOP primary in New Hampshire, where Romney is polling at nearly 50 percent.

Michele Bachmann dropped out of the race Wednesday. Jon Huntsman did not participate in the Iowa caucus.

Gingrich, meanwhile, has polled strongest in South Carolina at 38 percent, and Rick Perry has declared he will soldier on in South Carolina, despite drawing only 10 percent of votes in Iowa.

"That very fact could mean that Perry plus Gingrich could play spoiler for Santorum," said Laura Olson, a political science professor at Clemson.

Olson predicted a decisive win for Romney in New Hampshire. But, she said, a win for Santorum in South Carolina could make it either man's race going forward to Florida.

In the Dec. 19 Palmetto Poll, about 21 percent of likely voters in South Carolina said they supported Romney, followed by 10 percent for Ron Paul. Perry, Huntsman and Santorum were all in the single digits, with 16 percent of likely voters undecided.

But about 60 percent of voters said they might change their minds, Woodard said.

"When I heard Santorum was surging in Iowa, I took it to be the real deal because I knew he did the grassroots work," Woodard said.

Woodard and fellow Clemson professor Bruce Ransom will issue new polling data less than two days before the South Carolina primary.

South Carolina GOP voters have chosen the party's eventual presidential nominee since 1980, Ransom said, but they seem conflicted between choosing an "electable" candidate — i.e., Romney — or one with the most solid fiscally and socially conservative credentials.

Top Republicans in South Carolina have cast a wide net, with Gov. Nikki Haley supporting Romney, state House majority leader Kenny Bingham endorsing Gingrich and former gubernatorial candidates Barrett and Henry McMaster heading up the state campaigns for Santorum and Huntsman.

U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint have not endorsed anyone, nor has U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan.

"I could be totally wrong, but it seems the longer this battle goes on, and assuming it's Romney who wins the nomination, can the Republicans really get back together?" Ransom said, adding that the GOP's strongest unifying element is to beat President Barack Obama. "They are putting that to the test."

Santorum's surge, he said, could be just the latest alternative for voters still cold to Romney.

McMaster said Huntsman is the most qualified given his years in business, two terms as a successful governor and extensive knowledge of Asia. Huntsman was ambassador to China and speaks fluent Mandarin. Huntsman, he said, has high hopes for New Hampshire, where he has attended more than 150 events.

"That's one thing that Iowa did show — that shoe leather pays off," McMaster said.